Peter Houseman
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Houseman | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1945 | ||
| Place of birth | Battersea, London, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 March 1977 (aged 31) | ||
| Place of death | Oxford, England | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1963–1975 | Chelsea | 269 | (20) |
| 1975–1977 | Oxford United | 65 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Peter Houseman (24 December 1945 – 20 March 1977) was an English footballer who played as a winger. He was best known for his part in Chelsea's F.A. Cup-winning side of 1970. He later signed for Oxford United. He was killed along with his wife and two friends in a car crash in 1977.
Born in Battersea, Houseman signed professional terms with Chelsea in 1963, having played for the Chelsea Juniors. He made his debut for the club in the 1963–64 season in a 3–2 win over Sheffield United but made only sporadic appearances in his early years at Chelsea, with manager Tommy Docherty unconvinced by him. A section of the Chelsea crowd were also unconvinced by Houseman's performances, and he was often singled out for abuse throughout his time there. He featured in no more than twelve games per season in his first three years with Chelsea and missed out on the club's FA Cup final loss to Tottenham Hotspur in 1967.
However, an injury to John Boyle helped Houseman gradually establish himself as a regular in the side on the left wing, often acting as the team's "water-carrier" and providing service for the likes of Ian Hutchinson and Peter Osgood. He didn't miss a match during the 1969–70 season. His most significant contribution to Chelsea came in their FA Cup success in 1970, with Houseman scoring a total of 6 goals in that season's competition. His first 2 goals came when Chelsea faced Burnley in the fourth round; after a draw a Stamford Bridge, the side travelled to Burnley's home ground, Turf Moor, for the replay and, with eighteen minutes left, were trailing 1–0. Houseman picked up the ball in his own half and dribbled through the Burnley midfield, riding several challenges. He reached the opposition penalty area and smashed a shot into the top corner to equalise. In extra time, Houseman provided the cross for Tommy Baldwin to put Chelsea ahead, and then completed the comeback by scoring the third.
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